The Cousins as Close as Siblings
by Lilybookworm13
Summary: Marigold Gregson isn't stupid, nor is she blind. She knows that her real background has been kept from her. Sybbie Branson is independent. She's so independent that she doesn't realise she is falling in love. George Crawley is stubborn. He knows what he wants to do with his life and his plans do not involve living at Downton. Please Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Mama,_

_It's my birthday today, I'm nineteen. Da and I decided to stay at Downton for an extra few days so we could celebrate my birthday and George's next week. So we go back to London on the 10th instead of the 3rd like we normally do. _

_I still think of George as my baby cousin it's hard imagining that he'll be leaving for Oxford soon. He's studying law of course. Why shouldn't he, he's been gifted at arguing since he could speak. Aunt Mary says it's just one more way that he's like Uncle Matthew, I can't say because I never knew him but I think George is his own person through and through, Downton will never be enough for him. He wants to fly planes, he says he'll do that if a war starts. He'll join the Air Force, I suppose I stop training and start helping at the hospitals but I don't want a war to come. I don't like the idea of it. Everything is so good at the minute and the war will ruin everything. How silly does that sound? I just don't want the war to change things the way the last one did. I like things exactly how they are now and I know how the last war changed things, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to George. _

_Marigold is driving George and I up the walls, she is a pest. She can be so rude to us and it seems like she wants to make us unhappy, she hates us for some reason. I understand that she doesn't know that we're cousins but she could at least be a little nicer to us. Well, that's just my opinion. I'm still quite surprised that she hasn't figured out. She mustn't be as smart as she wants us to think, after all she has a lot of Aunt Edith's features. _

_Da's trying to convince Donk to buy a new car because the current one is a dinosaur, we're risking our lives every time we ride in it so I'm helping him do that because Donk has a soft spot for me and George. _

_I'm still not sure how to tell everyone, Aunt Mary tells me all the time how I'm just like you so they shouldn't be surprised, but I know it will shocked them and I don't want Donk's heart to act up again. _

_Love,_

_Sybbie._

" What do you think?" George asked, walking into his cousin's room. Sybbie looked up from her diary and smiled.

" Very nice, that colour suits you," she said, admiring George's new trousers, shirt and jacket. " You just need to comb your hair. It's very messy."

" I know, I thought I'd wait until before dinner. I don't know why Mama's getting me these new clothes because I'm joining the Air Force when war's declared," he said.

" And when will that be?" Sybbie asked, putting the cap on her pen and turning around to talk to her cousin properly.

" Soon," he replied, and Sybbie nodded.

" Have you got any more letters?" She asked, a small smile on her face.

" I got one this morning," he said.

" I honestly don't know how you've hidden the fact that your the heir to one of the largest estates in England," Sybbie said.

" Careful planning Sybbie dear, and telling her I wasn't related to that Crawley family," he laughed.

" You'll have to tell her eventually," Sybbie pointed out.

" And I will. I'll just give her time first before I tell her about all of this," George said. " Did you know Lord something or other is coming for dinner and is bringing his son, who is three years older than you?"

" Of course I know, and I've been warned to be on my best behaviour but it's not my fault that there aren't very many young men my age because of the war, and I can't help the fact that most of them are incredibly irritating and stupid and only care about how pretty a girl is," Sybbie said.

" And arrogant. Don't forget arrogant," George said, smiling slightly, as he had heard this before.

" You're lucky being a boy," Sybbie said, pulling out the ribbon that was keeping her ink black hair out of her eyes.

" No I'm not," he said.

" You can do whatever you want. I'm lucky that I was allowed to be a nurse," Sybbie replied, as the dressing gong sounded. " Oh, is it that time already?" George nodded and Sybbie stood up.

" You should go show Aunt Mary and then get changed, she would want to see you," she said. George nodded and then he left the room and Sybbie pulled the cord to signal her maid.

Sybbie didn't need a maid to help her get dressed, but it was on her Aunt Mary's insistence that she had one and her aunt forced her to use Nelly, small, snivelling and shy, but supposably brilliant at doing hair. Sybbie was yet to experience that...

Sybbie pulled off her day dress and socks and opened the buttons on the back of her dress for dinner. It was her birthday present from her Aunt Edith and she had to admit that it was lovely.

Sybbie had never been one for frills, as a child she wore trousers more often than dresses and her hair had never been longer than shoulder length.

There was a quiet knock and the door and then it opened a crack and Nelly walked in, wringing her hands. She always thought she was in trouble, and it drove most of the house mad.

The young maid silently helped Sybbie into her dress and handed her a pair of cream gloves.

" Thank you Nelly," Sybbie said with a smile before she scurried out of the room. Sybbie then sighed, if you said a word to her she ran off, it was starting to get annoying. Sybbie slipped on a pair of heeled shoes and ran a brush through her hair, she pinned one side of it back and looked in the mirror.

Sybbie then walked out of her room and headed downstairs to the library, being ready early always had it's advantages. She ran her hand over one of the shelves and picked out The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells. She sat down and opened it to the last page she read.

" Sybbie!" She heard the squeals of her younger cousins before the three little dark heads ran into the room. Violet climbed on to Sybbie's lap while Eleanor and Andrew sat on each side of her.

" Shouldn't you three be having dinner?" Sybbie asked.

" Nanny's away to get it," Eleanor said.

" Then why are you down here?"

" We wanted to say goodnight to you and Georgie and Mama and Papa. You won't tell Nanny will you?" Violet said, and Sybbie couldn't help but smile.

" It's our secret, I think everyone else is still upstairs. Will we go see?" Sybbie asked, standing up and holding Violet in her arms.

" Yes please," Andrew said.

As they walked out of the library George was coming down the stairs two at a time. He smiled at his younger siblings and Andrew ran over to him.

" Can you and Sybbie have dinner with us tonight?" He asked, clutching the bottom of George's suit jacket.

" Not tonight Andy. There's guests, but maybe tomorrow we'll go riding. How does that sound?" George asked.

" I want to go too!" Eleanor said, running from Sybbie's side.

" Then we'll go and maybe Mrs Mason will make us a picnic," George said, and the children nodded.

" Will you come Sybbie?" Eleanor asked.

" I can't I'm afraid, I'm very busy tomorrow. But maybe we can do it again next week," she suggested.

" Because we're playing dolls tomorrow. All day long!" Violet said, happily.

" Not all day. I have to get George's birthday present tomorrow morning," Sybbie said, and Violet nodded.

" There you are. Nanny said you ran off again." Eleanor ran to the bottom of the stairs and smiled.

" Sorry Papa. We just wanted to say goodnight," she said.

* * *

An hour later the children were in bed and the rest of the family were in the dining room along with their guests Lord and Lady Werrington and their son Rupert Lawrence.

George was sat between Sybbie and Marigold, a wise move on his grandmother's part as the two often butt heads. On Sybbie's side sat Mr Lawrence, while his Uncle Tom sat beside Marigold and his aunt was beside his uncle. His parents and grandparents were on the other side of the table, with the Werringtons beside them.

" The Earl told us that you want to go into nursing Miss Branson," Lady Werrington said.

" Yes, I have already completed a year of study and I will be going back to St Thomas's in the middle of September," Sybbie replied.

" Why are you doing nursing?" Mr Lawrence asked.

" I enjoy it. I get to help people and save lives. I think I might study to become a doctor when I'm finished," Sybbie said.

" You won't be giving up work when you get married then?" Lord Werrington asked.

" I wouldn't be able to. I'd go crazy doing nothing all day," she answered. Lord Werrington nodded, unimpressed by Sybil Branson's ambitious nature and clear independent streak. It was clear she was not the match for his son. A shame really, she was such a pretty girl.

" Sybbie most definitely takes after Tom in that respect, even on a Sunday they won't sit still," Cora said, smiling at her granddaughter. From the corner of her eye she saw Marigold sink slightly lower into the chair.

" Of course Marigold loves Sundays, she plays the piano all day. Marigold, you must play for Lord and Lady Werrington after dinner," Cora said, looking now at her other granddaughter. She was just like Edith at that age, unsure of where she fit in the family and jealous of Sybbie the way Edith was of Mary.

" Of course," Marigold said, looking at Lady Grantham. She didn't know why she bothered trying. It isn't like anyone cared about her. She was just Marigold Gregson. The ward of the Crawley family.

There was a lapse in the conversation as they all ate, apart from the occasional whispers between Sybbie and George.

" Your Mother said that you have your clothes ready for school," Charles said, looking at his stepson.

" Yes, I showed Sybbie every suit. By the time I tried on the last one I was afraid that she would throw me out. She was getting quite annoyed at all of the interruptions," George said, with a laugh and Sybbie nodded in agreement.

" You'll be sorry when I get some new clothes," she said, smiling.

" I'm sure I will be," he said.

Marigold glared at the two cousins as her short time in the limelight was once again snatched away by beautiful Sybbie and perfect George. She couldn't see why they got all of the attention, she was just as polite as they were and she was good company in her own opinion. And she was just as much a part of the Crawley family as they were!


	2. Chapter 2

At the sound of someone awake upstairs the puppy ran up and down the hall, barking to see who would come out to her.

" Be quiet. Do you want to wake the house?" Sybbie said, reaching down to pick up the dog. " What are you even doing up here?" She whined. " Were you lonely?" Poor little Hathor."

Sybbie got to the bottom of the staircase and put Hathor down who then ran to the from door. Sybbie walked over and pulled open the door and the dog shot out of it across the drive until she was just a for in the distance. Sybbie sat waiting on the front step for her to come back.

" Sybbie? What are you doing?" Sybbie looked around and smiled.

" Good morning. Hathor needed to go, that must have been why she was running around upstairs. Did she wake you?" Sybbie asked, as Hathor arrived back at her side. She reached down and rubbed her neck and then walked inside.

" I was already awake. Have you had breakfast?" Robert asked his granddaughter.

" No, I only came down a few minutes ago," she answered. He nodded and walked into the breakfast room and Sybbie followed. Before sitting down she lifted the Irish News from where it sat and looked at the headlines.

" Poland braces for German invasion. Why do they want to invade Poland?" Sybbie asked, flicking through the paper until she came to the crossword.

" Hitler wants to expand the German empire," Robert replied.

" So if he invades Poland then because England wants to help Poland we declare war on Germany?" Sybbie asked.

" In it's simplest terms yes Sybbie," Robert said, looking at her as she closed the paper again and read the full article.

" I thought the Great War was the war to end all wars?" She asked. " It makes no sense. France are already evacuating their children. Will it be that bad Donk?"

" It probably will. No war is good Sybbie," Robert replied. She shook her head and buttered a piece of toast.

" Donk? If there is a war will Downton become a convalescence home again?" She asked.

" I hope not. With the extension to the hospital they shouldn't need to send the troops anywhere else," he said, and Sybbie nodded.

" Good morning," Tom said, walking in. He kissed the top of Sybbie's head and then sat at the other side of the table.

" Morning Da," she said, still looking at the paper. " You know what I don't get? How the Nazis got to power in Germany in the first place, after all their leader is five foot nothing, never looks happy and wants to kill basically anyone who isn't the ideal German which to him is being blonde haired and blue eyed even though he is short, with dark hair and a stupid looking moustache."

" Well said Syb," Tom laughed, he agreed with Sybbie on most of the things she came out with. Sybil would have blamed it on him being so open about politics with her even when she was a child. " Now can I have my paper?"

" Sorry Da," she said, handing it to him.

" In my opinion war will be declared within the week," George said, sitting down.

" You don't have to sound so cheerful about it," Sybbie said, looking at her cousin. " War isn't a good thing George."

" Yes it is. Right Uncle Tom? Did you fight in the last war?" George asked.

" The outcome of war is good, a better way of life for the people but is it worth it after so many die? And I didn't fight. I didn't pass the medical," Tom said.

" But you wouldn't have fought anyway Da, not for Britain when you're Irish," Sybbie said, and Tom nodded.

* * *

At half past ten Sybbie was waiting by the front door for the car. When she saw it drive up she picked up her bag and walked out. She got into the backseat and took off her hat and looked at Granger in the driver's seat. She was still surprised that her grandfather trusted someone so young to work on his cars and drive them around. They sat in silence until the car drove through the large gates of the estate.

" Dinner last night couldn't have been any worse. It's the 1930s yet most men still have medieval ideas about the role of women. It's unbelievable. Why would I stay cooped up in some big country house and do basically nothing all day when I can be helping people and actually enjoying my life?" Sybbie said, and Granger laughed.

" You have more working class ideals than the rest of the family," he answered.

" I'm well aware of that. Apart from George, Da and I they are all stuck in the Dark Ages. Well I don't think Aunt Isobel is but who knows, she can barely remember her name anymore," she said, thinking of her cousin's grandmother and the live in nurse and how they all just wished for her to be taken quickly in her sleep instead of going through what she was going through.

" It just shows you how different people can be even when they're related," he said. He looked in the mirror and saw her sit back in her sit and look out the window. There was something about Miss Branson that William Granger couldn't put his finger on, it was how she commanded attention wherever she went yet she was softly spoken and always seemed happy to watch the world fly past her. She seemed to live in two different worlds, the real world and her thoughts.

" Do you have any siblings?" Sybbie asked.

" No Miss," he replied.

" Cousins?"

" Two, and they're both a lot younger than me."

" What age?"

" Three and five."

" Oh, they are a lot younger. I'm sure they're very sweet. Most little children are," Sybbie said.

" It depends. They can be terrors at times. It was my grandfather's birthday last week and the cam was sitting on the kitchen table, Lottie and Joey saw it, by the time my aunt found them they had eaten half of it. And they weren't the slightest bit sorry. But Grandpa just laughs and encourages them," he said.

" And you never did that as a child? The day Aunt Mary and Uncle Charles got married George and I ate the full tier of cake while everyone else was at dinner and nanny had fallen asleep," Sybbie laughed.

" I probably did but I can't remember much of being a child," he said. " Here we are, where do you want me to leave you?"

" By the bookshop please. I'll try there first," Sybbie answered and he nodded. He parked the car and Sybbie climbed out. He watched her walk into the bookshop and he smiled. Mrs Bates had told the story before the Branson came up from London for the summer. How Lady Sybil had rebelled against her family to marry the Irish chauffeur and then how she died the night their first child was born. And then she had jokingly warned him about the same thing happening to himself. Back then he laughed and swore it wouldn't. But that was before he had met her. Now they were friends Bill couldn't help but feel something stronger for the oldest Crawley grandchild.

* * *

As George looked at his siblings he wondered why he decided that it was a good idea to go riding.

" Violet! Don't go near the river. Sunshine doesn't like it!" He yelled, he pushed the end of a carrot into Cowboy's mouth and ran to his sister. He grabbed her reins and pulled her back towards the trees. He lifted Violet off and then tied Sunshine up beside Cowboy.

" Why did you even come?" George asked, as Violet lifted a rag doll from the picnic basket.

" Because Mama said you couldn't take Eleanor and Andrew and leave me all alone," Violet answered.

" Do you want a ham sandwich or a chicken sandwich?" He asked, opening up the basket and looking inside it.

" Chicken please," she said. He nodded and handed her one as the other two came running over. Andrew dove into the basket, pulling out as much as he could eat and George smiled. He'd miss them when he left, they were three nonstop bundles of energy that kept his day entertaining.

" Is there a knife and fork?" Eleanor asked.

" For you my princess?" George asked. " Of course there is." From the bottom of the basket he lifted the cutlery. Eleanor was a fussy eater and strangely never ate with her hands.

" I thought I was your princess?" Violet said, looking at her brother, she may have been small but she didn't like being lied to.

" No, you're my fairy. There is a big difference," George said, and the girls giggled.

" Do you have to leave George? We don't want you to go. Can't you stay? Can't you and Sybbie stay?" Andrew asked.

" You know we can't, we have to back to school in a couple of weeks," George said. " And the time will fly to the Christmas holidays."

" Will you write?" Eleanor asked.

" I always have, haven't I?" He asked, with a smile and he nodded. They seemed to be taking his going to university a lot harder than his going to boarding school for the past four years. " And I'm not going yet. We still have another few weeks, what would you like to do?"

" Go fishing," Andrew said, with smile.

" The cinema," Eleanor said.

" I want you to finish reading The Enchanted Wood," Violet said. George nodded and looked at his brother and sister, realising how much he would miss them. Over the summer they had always been running after him and Sybbie.

" That all seems doable. And how about a trip to the beach or the zoo?" He asked.

" Yes please," they chorused, and George smiled.

" Now go and play for a bit. If you're going into the river remember to take your shoes and socks off," he said, and they stood up and ran off. As soon as they were out of sight he pulled the well read letter out of his pocket and read it again.

_Dear George,_

_It's not the same writing to you, I miss talking to you and spending hours together doing nothing in particular. I was_ _planning to go to York to visit an aunt on the 1st of September, do you think you could make it over for a few hours? _

_It seems I write you so many letters that I should run out of things to talk about but it hasn't happened yet. Yesterday Arthur told us that he isn't going back to university in September. He's joining the army, he wants to be the first in our town to join up. Mother was crying and Father was angry, I'm proud of him but I'm worried that something might happen to him. I suppose it's natural as he's my only brother but I don't want him to leave. I'm sure you'll join up too and I'll be left to worry about both of you. _

_I can hear Mother calling for me. I'm sorry it's a short letter. _

_Yours,_

_Emma_

* * *

Marigold sat in her bedroom, by the window. Outside she saw them coming back from their ride and Sybbie running to meet them. She wasn't stupid, she had notice the obviously similarities between herself, George and Sybbie, they all had the same blue eyes. She had been aware of the fact they were family for years but no one else seemed to want to tell her. It was a secret that everyone knew about except herself. And she didn't think that was fair.

Edith had told her that there would be a large party for George's birthday and a lot of friends of the family would be there. Marigold for once couldn't wait, usually at parties she stayed in the shadows while George flirted with every girl in the room and Sybbie danced every dance but this time it would be different, George's school friends wouldn't know who she was, maybe one of them would fall madly in love with her...

She shook her head, it was just a foolish dream. No one ever noticed her, she was too plain. She was fed up at always being the odd one out in her family!


	3. Chapter 3

The Blake children were not good at being quiet, they had been brought up in a different era to their parents and were loud and boisterous like children were meant to be.

" Violet, you stood on my toe!" Eleanor wailed and George sat up in his bed, he knew they'd be coming in and he was waiting. They didn't know how he was always awake when they went to his room first thing in the morning but he always was. They knocked at the door, opened it and ran to jump on George's bed.

" Happy birthday George," they shouted, pushing their presents on to his lap.

" Thank you. Did you wake Sybbie and Marigold?" He asked.

" Sybbie's in the loo and Marigold told us to 'stop pestering her and get out'," Eleanor said. George nodded, it seemed that Marigold didn't even want to be part of the family sometimes.

" Here you go Georgie, happy birthday," Sybbie said, kissing his cheek and getting under the covers beside him. Violet shuffled up the bed to sit between them and Eleanor and Andrew sat at their feet.

" Sybbie, when are the children arriving?" Eleanor asked.

" Tomorrow but remember not a word to Grandfather," Sybbie said, grinning at her cousins. When she heard about the children being evacuated from London she knew she had to do something. And what better to do than take twelve children into Downton?

However Sybbie knew that her grandfather wouldn't feel the same way.

" You really need to tell him about that," George said.

" I will. After breakfast," she said. " Now open your present." George nodded and lifted the lid off the box.

" Treasure Island. You know that there's three copies of this in the library," George said, looking at his elder cousin.

" But it's your favourite and it's a special edition," Sybbie said.

" Thanks," he said, putting it on the covers beside him. Andrew handed him the present from his siblings and he opened it.

" Chocolates and a new pen. Delicious," George said, taking the lid of the box of chocolates and popping one into his mouth before offering one to his siblings and cousin.

" George Crawley I hope that you are not encouraging your siblings to eat chocolate before breakfast?"

" It was only one tiny chocolate Mama," Violet said, jumping off the bed and running to her mother.

" It won't do them any harm Aunt Mary, they know they need healthy food for breakfast," Sybbie said, standing up and smiling at her aunt. " I'm going to go change. See you downstairs." She kissed her aunt's cheek and then ran to her bedroom.

* * *

" Grandpa, can I speak to you?" Sybbie asked, walking into the library after breakfast. Robert looked up from his newspaper and nodded. He folded it over and smiled at his granddaughter.

" So, I think we can accept the fact that not only is war with Germany inevitable but it will begin in days," she said, standing by the fireplace and looking at the photographs that sat there. One was of her and her cousins, it was taken a few years ago. Then there was one of her parents, aunts and grandparents at Aunt Mary's first wedding. Her Granny said they were two of her most important possessions.

" Don't tell me you've the same foolish idea as George?" Robert said, his grandchild would break him eventually.

" About joining the military? Oh no! But you'll still think it's a foolish idea," she said.

" What is it Sybbie?"

" I've sent a telegram to the War Office to invite twelve city children to stay here for the duration of the war. And they arrive tomorrow," she said in a tone that Robert knew not to argue with. But there was no way he was letting his nineteen year old granddaughter rule the roost.

" You could have talked to me first," he said.

" You would have said no," Sybbie answered. " And Granny thought it was a lovely idea."

" Can't they stay in the village?"

" No. Because more children are going to stay in the village," Sybbie said. As her grandfather opened his mouth to protest she continued. " They'll share the school room and I was thinking we could change the old ballroom upstairs, the one that hasn't been used in a hundred years, into a dormitory. Then they can eat their meals in the breakfast room and we can eat all of our meals in the main dining room."

" So, you have thought about this then?" He asked.

" Yes. And you won't complain. Because it's the right thing to do," she said.

" Fine. But I expect them to behave," Robert sighed. Sybbie smiled and in that moment Robert was looking at Sybil. She ran across the room and hugged him.

" They will. I promise," she said.

" You really are your mother's double," he said, thinking of Sybil when the last war began. She was eighteen, just a year younger than Sybbie.

* * *

George's birthday party was made up of many guests that he didn't know and had only been invited because his mother thought she should invite as many people as possible. And then there were his school friends, most of whom had never been to Downton before and were now wondering how George was so normal when he grew up in a palace. And then there was the family, both immediate and extended. His aunt Rose and Uncle Atticus had arrived hours before along with their twins Katherine and William.

" What are you thinking about?" George looked at Sybbie and smiled.

" Nothing. I was just in my own world," he said.

" Head in the clouds," Sybbie answered, and he nodded.

" Some of my friends have been wanting to meet you," he said.

" Why?" She asked.

" Because they think you're the most beautiful girl in the room," George laughed.

" I'm also the only one under forty," she said.

" No. Marigold's here," George answered, and both of them laughed. Marigold was rather plain, she may have been pretty if she wasn't frowning all the time. " I never got asking. How did Grandfather take the evacuees?"

" As well as we expected. Where is Marigold anyway?" Sybbie asked, looking for her cousin.

" With Aunt Edith, who is trying to convince her to go to bed because she's still young for an adult party," George replied. Sybbie nodded. " Want to dance?"

George took his cousin's arm and they walked towards the band.


	4. Chapter 4

Sybbie always woke up early the morning after a party. She was always the first up usually beating her grandfather by an hour. After stretching out in her bed she got up and took a pair of denim trousers from her wardrobe along with a shirt that might have once belonged to George. She got dressed quickly and clipped her hair back before she left her room. She used the servant stairs to slip down to the kitchen where she took an apple on her way out of the house. She walked into the garage and looked at the old car. She has decided weeks ago that it had needed a paint and she was finally getting around to painting it. Maybe if it looked better it work better. Or so she hoped.

" Miss Branson? What are you doing?" William had walked into the garage, expecting it to be empty.

" I'm painting the car," she replied, looking at him.

" Er.. Yes. But are you sure that's the right colour?" He looked at the car which was half black and half red.

" I like red," Sybbie said. Black cars were boring in her opinion, there were blue and green and red cars in London. But at Downton they stuck with a traditional black car.

" It looks like a post box," he laughed.

" No it doesn't," Sybbie said, putting her paintbrush down and moving back to look at her work so far. She liked it, the paint was even and it shone when the sun hit it.

" Sybbie! Syyyyybbbbbbie!" George called as he ran into the yard. " Breakfast. The newspaper. We're at war. There's going to be an announcement on the wireless." He leaned back against the garage wall and took a deep breath.

" I think you've been eating too much pudding," Sybbie laughed.

" I had to run through the whole house looking for you," George said.

" You should have checked here first. What do you think?" She asked, looking at the car.

" Master Crawley? Did you say war?" William asked.

" Britain's issued an ultimatum. If the Germans don't leave Poland then we declare war," George said. " The Prime Minister's speaking in a half hour. Grandfather sent me to get you." Sybbie nodded.

" I'll go up and change first. I'll be there in a few minutes," she said. She was quite calm about it, surely there wouldn't be a war. The Germans probably wanted it as much as the English.

The cousins said goodbye to the chauffeur and then hurried back to the house. George went to the library while Sybbie went to her room to change. She tidied herself and put on a plum knee length dress with a small white collar.

Arriving in the library she saw that the whole family was gathered. They were all sitting in silence, and they were all deep in thought.

" Has someone died?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. Tom smiled a little and Sybbie sat beside him, taking his hand.

" Turn the wireless on George," Cora said. He nodded and turned towards the table.

" It will be starting in five minutes," Robert said.

" Is there going to be a war?" Eleanor asked.

" I hope not," her mother replied.

" What is a war?" Violet asked, curling into her father's side.

" A bad thing where lots of people die," he replied.

" What happened in the last war?" Andrew asked.

" Andrew," George and Sybbie said. They were old enough to know that the Great War wasn't to be talked about. It just brought back bad memories for the whole family.

" From 10 Downing Street, our Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain will speak." George turned the wireless up and everyone listened intently.

" This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note, stating that unless we heard from them – by 11 o'clock – that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and that, consequently, this country is at war with Germany."

It was now real, while the headlines had foretold it and they had all been issued gas masks and the evacuees were arriving that day. England was now at war once again.

George was the first to speak, but he only made them all feel worse.

" I want to join the RAF." He had wanted to get it over and done with. There was no point in hiding what he planned to do.

Sybbie shook her head, she had known that it would happen eventually but she had hoped he wouldn't do anything so soon. She, on the other hand, had a letter sitting in her suitcase saying that if war was declared she was to report to York Hospital as soon as possible.

" No. George, you don't have to join up," Mary said. She couldn't lose him.

" Now, Mary. He has to do his bit," Robert said, and the adults of the house looked at him. There was loyalty to your country but he was sending his grandson, and heir, to war.

" If you'll excuse me, I have a few things to do," Sybbie said, standing up. She walked back up the stairs but instead of going to her own room she walked further down the hall.

Apart from being regularly cleaned the room hadn't been touched. Everything was where Sybil had put. Sybbie had been in her mother's room many times. It was where she came to think. And currently she had a lot to think about.

She opened the wardrobe and ran her hand over the dresses. They were more colourful than anything her aunts wore. And they were modern too, well modern for 1920. There were even a pair of trousers. Sybbie knew what she was looking for and pulled out Sybil's nursing uniform. She hung it on the wardrobe door and then sat on the bed.

Her mother became a nurse because of the last war. She had seen pictures of Sybil in uniform, they were some of the earliest pictures she had seen. She had decided she was going to be a nurse after her father had told her that's what her mother was.

" There's another war Mama. I'm going to be working at York hospital. But I don't know how to tell everyone. I'm scared, I don't want anything to happen to George, because I'm sure he's already making plans to join up even though Aunt Mary told him not to. I'm not worried about myself, I've already had a year of nursing school and I'll continue it this year so I won't have to work that much. But obviously they'll need a lot of help once the soldiers start coming back."

" Sybbie?" There was a knock on the door and Sybbie went quiet, she wasn't in the mood to talk.

" Sybbie. I know you're in there."

" Then come in," Sybbie said. " Shouldn't you be talking to George and convincing him not to join the Air Force?"

" Not when there's something wrong with you," Mary replied, sitting beside her niece.

" I'm fine," she said. " Aunt Mary? What do you think it would have been like if Mother and Uncle Matthew had lived?"

" Different," Mary said. She had thought of it now and again, what if Sybil and Matthew were there.

" Most of the time I'm alright with it. I'm used to it and I have you and Aunt Edith. But I just wish I could talk to her," Sybbie said.

" I miss her too. We all do. Do you know how proud she would be of you?"

" Sybbie?" Edith walked into the room, holding her niece's jacket. " The train arrives in ten minutes. Didn't you want to meet the evacuees?"

" Oh yes!" Sybbie jumped up from the bed and grabbed her jacket before she ran down the hall.

" No running." Mary shouted after her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sybbie walked to the station with Marigold who,for what seemed like the first time, willingly took part in what she was planning instead of complaining and leaving before things were finished.

Sybbie hoped that maybe her cousin was turning over a new leaf. She had always thought of Marigold as a cousin and then her father told her the true story when she was twelve, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Not knowing who you are and that the people you live with are actually your family.

"Did you hear about the man who found out the colour of the wind?" Sybbie asked, fed up of the silence.

"No," Marigold said.

"He found it blew," she said. Marigold looked at her cousin and smiled slightly.

"I think you need to work on your jokes," she said.

"It's not the worst one. George's one about the turkey is awful," Sybbie said.

"He only finds it funny because it annoys us so much," Marigold said, and Sybbie nodded in agreement.

"He should stick to falling down the stairs, that's extremely funny," she said.

"And it happens at least once a week," Marigold added. They arrived at the train station and walked into the waiting room where the evacuees were waiting. There were also some villagers helping out by taking in a few children.

"Miss Branson and Miss Gregson. Are you here to take the children up to the Abbey?" Mrs Roberts asked, she seemed to be in charge of the evacuation process.

"Yes, we can take twelve," Marigold said.

"Any certain ages?"

"No, just the children who need somewhere to go," Sybbie answered and the older woman nodded.

"If you can wait for a few minutes," she said, before hurrying off.

"Look at them," Marigold said, nudging Sybbie and looking across the room. Twenty children were standing in two lines, waiting to get picked. They watched as a little boy was pulled from the front line and taken away as another boy ran forward to try and pull him back.

"Family," Sybbie said.

"Maybe we should have taken more," Marigold said.

"I would have said we'd take more but most of the rooms haven't been used in over a decade, there wouldn't have been time to clean them. If they're cleaned then we could take some children if more come from the cities," Sybbie said.

"Good idea," Marigold said. Mrs Roberts came over to them and smiled. The room was emptier now and the children that were left stood staring at them.

"I hope they'll be alright for you," Mrs Roberts said, before she called them over. She turned to the children and smiled. "Now you are the lucky ones, getting to stay in the big house."

"I'd rather stay at home," a taller boy said.

"We can't stay at home. It's not safe," a girl said, with a sigh, as if she had said it many times before.

"Shall we go then? Marigold you take the front and I'll take the back," Sybbie said.

"We probably should have brought the car or a horse and cart," Marigold said.

"It's not a long walk and they'll probably want to stretch their legs after being stuck on a train all morning," Sybbie said. Marigold nodded and they started the walk back home with the children in a huddle between them.

Sybbie watch them walk, brothers and sisters stuck close together, holding hand. The more curious ones were at the edges of the group, trying to see as much as possible and pointing out different things to the others. The tired ones were at the back of the group, dragging their feet and yawning. These were the smallest ones, maybe between three and six. Most of them had tear stained faces because it was probably their first time away from home and their parents.

"What's that?" A little boy pointed into a field and looked at Marigold.

"It's a cow," she said.

"What does it do?" He asked.

"It gives milk," she said, she thought everyone knew that.

"How?"

"See between the back legs? They are udders. You squeeze them and milk comes out," she said. The boy's eyes widened.

"That's disgusting!" Marigold laughed and continued walking.

* * *

The adults were sitting in the library when Sybbie and Marigold joined them.

"All twelve are fed and cleaned and ready for an extremely early night," Marigold said, sitting on the ground in front of the fire.

"When can we meet them?" Violet asked.

"Tomorrow," Sybbie answered. "Where's Da?"

"He had to go into Ripon," Mary answered, not looking at her niece, if Tom hasn't told her then she wouldn't.

"Why? We're going to Mass this evening," Sybbie asked. If he needed something couldn't he have got it then?

"I'm not sure, he must have needed to get something," Mary said, and Sybbie nodded.

"Where's George?" Marigold asked.

"Sulking in his room," Eleanor said.

"Because Mama won't let him join up," Andrew added.

"He can join up anyway. He's eighteen," Katherine said, her American accent always seemed out of place at Downton.

"I don't think he'd do it if people didn't want him to join up," Sybbie replied.

"When are you going home Aunt Rose?" Eleanor asked, she had thought her aunt, uncle and cousins were only staying the night.

"I'm not quite sure. The war has changed our plans a bit," Rose replied.

"Hopefully soon," Andrew whispered in his sister's ear and she giggled.

"Is something funny?" Cora asked.

"No Granny," they replied.

"Can we go riding before dinner?" Violet asked. Since learning to ride on her own she asked every day if they could go riding.

"I'll go," Marigold said.

"Us too," Andrew said, talking about himself and Eleanor.

"Can Willie and I come?" Katherine asked.

"If you want. I'll try and get George to come down," Sybbie said.

"Careful he doesn't bite your head off," Robert laughed. When George was in a mood he was impossible to talk to and roared at anyone who tried to speak to him.

"I know. Saddle up Penny for me please," Sybbie said, before she walked out of the library.

She knocked on George's door then went inside. He was sitting on his bed, facing the window.

"Go away Sybbie," he said.

"We're going riding. Do you want to come?" She asked.

"No."

"Stop being grumpy."

"No."

"George, Aunt Mary has reasons for not wanting you to join up. She doesn't want you to die or get injured. You're her eldest son. The only part of Uncle Matthew she has left," Sybbie said, walking around the bed to stand in front of him.

"I know."

"Give her time to get used to the idea. She'll never want you to go but she'll she that you have to," she said.

"I can't wait that long. Mama'd stubborn. I want to join up now!" he said. Sybbie raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.

"You sound like a baby who isn't getting their own way. Maybe if you act your age you might get somewhere," she said. He didn't reply so she continued. "Talk to her about it this evening, tell her why you want to join up and listen when she tells you why you should stay home."

"She won't listen to me," George said.

"She will. The problem is you both want to get your own way," Sybbie said and George nodded. "I'm not going to say anything else about it. Come on, lets go down to the stables." George stood up and hugged her.

"Thanks Syb."


End file.
